JFootman

That guy was pretty squirrely and when I talked to him on the phone he kept saying it was a '90 but the listing showed '89. Good catch, @cimmer!!! I think ur right, @luvmy40. It's a crap shoot and integrity is harder to come by any more. I think the engine might have been solid & looks aren't everything, @larrydr but after pouring so much time & effort into my '83 I just don't have it in me. Plus the degree of damage to all the plastics I'd probably have to buy a parts bike as my skills on that kind of plastic repair are wanting. Ironically enough, he relisted it for the same asking price but included a Sprinter car with the deal! Sadly, he's just desperate for money. BTW, he DID say he'd transport it for anyone who's in the area (it's about 15-20 min from Terre Haute).

Well... the trailer is empty. Drove over an hour and had a good time with the missus but I just couldn't pull the trigger. While I would have loved to have used @skydoc_17 checklist, (thx BTW!!!) but cosmetically it was in pretty rough shape and as difficult as it was to get up and running "decently", it just wasn't what I thought I was getting into. The images he sent were apparently from when he first obtained the bike years ago which soured me right off the bat. While most of the plastics were present, they were pretty mistreated, especially the black plastic around the CB (nearly destroyed) and multiple areas of chunks missing from them. Left rear saddlebag with large crack through almost the entire top, crappy repair on trunk with water inside. It had been left outside for some time and multiple areas of rust on the chrome. Numerous items missing (parts not on my '83) and even more numerous oversized screws in areas that had wallowed out the holes (including the airbox). Dash was in rough shape and discolored and oil light error (I believe) was on. Clutch lever missing and for some reason the clutch line was transferred to the front brake (somehow to "diagnose" the m/c issue). Seat was completely trashed and multiple tears on the passenger "armrests". Engine looked remarkably clean and no apparent leaks (except clutch fluid from m/c he had already pointed out). Required heavy choke to start and still some to keep running even after warming up. Couple faint backfires when revved up until warm. I question the carb rebuild & if someone actually did it and a carb sync (said he paid $400 for carb work) I would have expected it to run much, much smoother. By comparison, I think this '89 with 39k on the odometer vs my '83 with 69k on it would have been a step backwards. I'm not saying it couldn't be brought back to life but I poured many an hour into my '83 and was essentially an absent father for almost 2 months getting her to where she is now and I just can't justify doing that again. Now if someone needs a bike with a good motor (I would LOVE to ride a bike with 2nd gear!) and has the time and patience I can connect you with him. He posted it for $1200 but even before showing up said he'd take $800 but I know he'd accept a little less. He even offered to meet someone a reasonable distance for the price of gas. Obviously he's pretty desperate! Thx to all who responded to my request for input and still thankful for the "adventure". Looks like it's time to put that new clutch in the '83!

My '83 is FINALLY up and running well and have been enjoying the heck out of it. Clutch is starting to slip but not a big deal to replace. However... Found an '89 Venture Royale with 38k miles. Seat is buggered (but patched), new tires, newer battery, no smoke or overheating, recent carb rebuild and sync, CB & radio disconnected so unknown functionality, rear shock compressor apparently works and maintains pressure, plastics all in place, "runs like new". Only major issue is he said the clutch m/c needs rebuilt and leaks. Said he'll take $800 for it. Seems like a heck of a deal but as always "if it sounds too good...". What are your thoughts? Will likely put up the '83 for about that much with all I've done to it so more or less an even swap. Thx in advance, guys!

Sorry, Patch. Got my days mixed up. The ladies don't know what they're missing I"m sure! I literally just watched that video a few nights ago! Very helpful for guys like me. He's the kind of person I see nearly everyone on this forum being like... brainiac's especially when it comes to bikes! I've always been told to surround myself with people who are more intelligent or more advanced in what area you have an interest in and this forum surely has it!!! Y'all are great and enjoy the camaraderie. Looking forward to the time when I can give back!

Well, GOOD NEWS! While researching where in tarnation this TCI unit is and thinking I'd clean its contacts I stumbled on THIS thread from 2016. Specifically saw Yamagirl's post #7 where she encouraged inspecting the connector on the left side under the seat that goes to the pick up coils. There were 3 plugs there and all three were severely corroded however the plug going to the pick up coils also had a connector that had been pushed part way out of the plug probably making poor contact as well. After cleaning all 3 and applying dielectric grease I held my breath and BAM! Started up almost immediately and with NO CHOKE! Knowing my luck, I wasn't ready to stop especially with all the issues I've heard about the connections going to the TCI unit so I dove into that as well. Definitely not the easiest thing to get to but since I had just cleaned the carbs on Friday I was comfortable pulling the airbox off and the battery box wasn't too difficult. Of course I pulled all connectors and cleaned and greased all the connections that I encountered. Sure enough, horrible corrosion on both of the TCI plugs and one of the contacts had apparently arced at one point with very slight burn on the connector. For some reason there was water on the connectors so I'm not sure where that came from. Took it for a quick spin up the street & I know there's the "I fixed something so it runs so much better" mentality but I seriously don't think it's run this well since I got it. I've started it 3 times now cold with no choke and starts immediately. I know that doesn't solve the burned #2 cap and the wet #4 cap but at least she runs!!! The only bad news is I also did the master cylinder rebuild tonight as my first post in this thread indicated a locking up of the brakes (possibly overfilled MC?) but also the propensity for the rear brake pedal to not return upwards (I've cleared the return hole twice already). I purged the lines by "back bleeding" as the fluid was replaced less than a couple of months ago. Filled the reservoir and bled the rear and then the front until no bubbles (probably upwards of 20+ bleeds each). Unfortunately the pedal still doesn't want to return to the full upwards position. I know CowPuc has a video of bleeding the metering valve at the stem but despite hitting it with PB Blaster on more than one occasion I can't crack that fitting to save my life. I might give it a try again although last time I torqued it so much the metering valve started to rotate so I'm worried I'm going to damage it or one of the lines. Either way, I'll bleed them again tomorrow as it's nearly 6am here and I'm apparently rambling more than I usually do! A special thanks to all who have chimed in giving me directions and especially @Patch for his expertise, patience and guidance. One thing's for certain, I wouldn't have a bike still if it wasn't for this forum and all of your guy's support!

@Patch, shouldn't you be out partying it up? Of course here it's only just 11:30 here so the night might be young where you are! So the orange and red/white stripe wires are on the coil side of the plug. The 4 different colored wires were on the sides leading TO the coils. Sorry if I didn't clearly indicate that. You didn't say to unplug the coil but I just assumed and since I was cleaning the contacts and applying dielectric grease it just made sense to me. The spark on all 4 cylinders were similar ("20" on my tester which looks less than 20mm but definitely greater than the 6mm minimum) so yes, it appears all the coils are firing and if I'm testing correctly the ohm test confirms the primaries functioning as well. I've not tried to "baby" it to life since I parked it a little over a week ago. Like I said, it'll start but definitely struggles and seems like it's only firing on a couple of cylinders (to my ignorant mind!). Everything has therefore been done on a cold engine. I can try to get it running but not sure how to test if it is "charging". I've not had to put it on a battery charger except after I tried to start it after cleaning the carbs therefore if you're talking battery charging from the alternator, yes it appears to be charging the battery. With the multimeter set on 20k, I've placed one lead on both the orange and the red/white stripe wire from the back and the front of the plug with the other lead on the spark plug cap terminal. As you indicated I'm sure they're not open but again feel like a boob that I can't test them appropriately. While I didn't ask him specifically and neither did he share, the previous owner most likely didn't rejet it himself and he purchased it from his brother-in-law so at least he knew the history going back to the first owner. Again, that doesn't mean it WASN'T rejetted but it didn't sound like that was the case. I was already looking at a borescope/endoscope which might enable me to look within the cylinder but as this seemed to be a sudden onset I'm not sure if investigating in this manner would benefit me (other than having a "cool" toy!). While I can check with a local bike shop, we've only got one in our small town & he acted like they were slammed and will likely be disinclined to allow me to borrow a compression tester (unless I can "borrow" one from O'Reilly's, AutoZone or Advance Auto). Attached are the pics of the cylinders with boots on & off. #2 is the burned one & #4 is the "oily" or dirty one. #1 & #3 look "old" or worn but nothing outstanding (to my untrained eye). Should I go ahead & pull the plugs to investigate further? As I mentioned I have new plugs on hand and new wires & caps/boots that should be here before week's end. I can install the plugs now & add the wires and caps when they arrive. If I'm getting ahead of myself I will hold off. Thx!!!

Spark testing revealed “20” on all 4 cylinders. While my tester has markings for 10, 20, 30 & 40, the distance between the 20 and 30 appears twice the distance between 10-20 and 30-40 however when I split the distance none bridged the gap. On the same page in the service manual (yes, I missed it!), it appears they indicate the minimum spark gap is 6mm so I guess that's a good sign. On the primary coil test I got 3.3, 3.6, 3.5 & 3.4 respectively on 1-4. I tested #1 twice and got 3.6 on second test. The manual indicates 2.7 ohms +/- 10% so I'm above the 2.97. Admittedly I may have not done specifically what you've asked, @Patch so let me know if I need to redo the testing. I unplugged each coil and inserted the leads into the back of the coil side plug which were all orange wires and red/white stripe wires. I assumed the colored wires wouldn't test the coils unless I was to leave the plugs intact. I'm trying to test the secondaries but must be doing it wrong. I'm placing 1 lead on the orange wire at the plug and the second lead in the plug cap (also tried the red/white stripe wire). I'm not getting any reading whatsoever (I've tested 3 of the 4 with no reading). I set the multimeter at 200 ohms for the primary and set it at 20k for the secondary testing. Sorry to be the pest with such basic testing but again, thx for your help.

Sorry, @circa1968. Probably wrong question. Not needing the “spark plug gap” but rather when I test the spark gap with the spark tester, I didn’t know the recommended minimum gap to indicate adequate flow to the plug. Looks like 10 is minimum and 40 is max.

I'll try to be brief as well (what are the chances?!?!) Thx, @circa1968. Very thorough but basic explanation for my peabrain to understand open & short circuits! I sprayed cleaner on the contacts but was going to wait on the dielectric grease until I thought I was finished. If I get a carb sync unit I'll be sure to check the balance of the gauges like you said. Was just heading out to the garage to complete the testing when I saw your post, @Patch. Again, your knowledge overwhelms me! Will continue to pursue the electrical concerns before syncing. I did pick up a spark gap tester today & was part of my plan for the evening or tomorrow, time allowing. As it appears I'm going to have to replace at least 1 of the spark caps, I ordered 4 today plus new wire (inexpensive enough to justify). I had replaced the plugs as recommended in the service manual but after researching further, it appears the recommended plugs are the NGK 2022 iridium and picked up 4 today as well. Figured I will remove the plugs at some point to inspect and might as well put in the proper ones at that time anyway. I'm hoping the #4 plug with the debris and moisture might be user error however it was pretty dirty when I changed it the first time IIRC. Was planning on cleaning everything more thoroughly before replacing. Thus far I've completed the voltage drop testing. Across the battery I had 12.61v and 12.30, 12.28, 12.24 & 12.25 at the coils. Will do the ohms testing now. Will also test spark gap on each. I didn't see anything in the service manual but is there a minimum gap that's recommended? Should I swap the plugs now or is there a potential that I will damage them? Since they're more pricey I don't want to shoot myself in the foot if I'm still troubleshooting. Thx agn!

Thx so much for the thorough explanation, @Patch. I think it's readily apparent you've probably forgotten more than I've ever know about engines! After reading it a couple of times my peabrain is starting to conceptualize. I guess I had always assumed backfire was the "gunshot" sound from the exhaust and this was distinctly different. Nonetheless I'm thankful we're working towards the goal of just getting her running. I know you're not looking for praise, Patch but you sound like a heck of a guy. Not just for what you've done for me but your obvious willingness to help others expecting nothing in return. Just started inspecting again. You weren't kidding when you said the coils "will take a bit of work to get to"! I'm hoping I don't need to do a teardown to get to them but man, that's tight (coils AND wires!)! Before I went any further and since they were easy to get to I looked at the plugs. The #2 plug (front, left side while sitting on the bike, right?) and saw what looked like a burn mark angling across the plug and the "gasket" at the base appears melted (see pics). The termination of the wire within the plug doesn't appear charred and the spark plug looks fine. I DID replace the plugs a little over a month ago & while I can't guarantee it, I don't remember seeing this burn. I also saw that #4 (front, right?) and noticed the base of the plug and the cavity around it appeared wet and dirty by comparison to the others. I'm not sure if either of these observances indicate anything but thought I'd throw it out there as we all know I'll have a bunch more to ramble on about when I actually pull out the multimeter!

Thx, @circa1968! Sincerely appreciate the offer. I may take you up on that but after looking on Amazon it looks like I can get a cheap set for around $60 which isn't nearly as bad as I thought. By the time I do shipping both ways I'll probably have covered almost half of it & I assume this isn't the only time I'm going to want to do this. I guess the problem with 6 kids (5 are boys) is nothing is where you think it should be (it surely CAN'T be MY fault!!!) so I can't find my multimeter. Heading to HF to pick another one up today. In the meantime I did a little cleaning on the carbs yesterday. Took off the airbox & sprayed the tops and all the ports I could find followed by blowing them out with low-pressure air (40psi). I did the CowPuc trick and drained the bowls and backflushed the cleaner however the #3 cylinder has the hose detached. Of course it has to be the one there is absolutely no easy access to so I'm getting a mirror and long curved hemostat from HF when I'm there. It struggled to start with multiple small backfires and although it started, no RPMs on the tach and as soon as I gave it throttle it died. Of note, there was a trace amount of very small debris (nearly microscopic) in one of the bowls but other than that there wasn't much discoloration of the cleaner after flushing. After the starting struggles I tried to charge the battery and yes, I know I'm supposed to disconnect the cables before charging and I didn't. I had done it before with no issues (and multiple times on the other vehicles). Thinking the charger might be bad I hooked it on the SUV and worked fine. Disconnected positive and negative cables and charged the bike battery with no issues. Although I could have created another problem, my feeble mind is thinking that may be another affirmation of an electrical issue as @Patch has repeatedly indicated (I promise I haven't doubted you, Patch!). Just to clarify, Patch, the "pop" I said occurred wasn't a backfire but rather a hollow sound that was more like something opening or closing up which I had (apparently mistakenly) assumed with something carb related. It sounded like it came from there too. In addition to the multimeter, mirror and long hemostat at HF I was also going to get a can of the CRC QD Electronics Cleaner for any of the contacts I encounter. Was also going to add the dielectric grease from WM for good measure. I'm definitely not opposed to spending a few bucks on new spark plug cables (I assume they're originals) but hoping I'm not looking at 2 new ignition coils or ESPECIALLY not a bad TCI unit. Thankful to all of your help troubleshooting so I'm not throwing the towel in prematurely or spending money on items I don't really need. Will probably do the electrical testing tomorrow & will post results. Patch, I've never noticed any "language disadvantage" & I'm sure everyone who reads these posts wishes I had a language disadvantage so I wouldn't ramble incessantly!!!

I've had to apply the choke to get her started (hot or cold) and has idled low (~500rpm) since I got her. I tried to adjust the idle up when she's cool but was too high after it warmed up. Since I developed problems with bogging down after adding Seafoam and cleared up after the Berryman's that was my first suspicion. I'm sure I need to sync the carbs (regardless of the cleaning) but as I indicated in my other thread I'm just trying to squeak by on the smallest investment this season. This recent issue sounds (and feels like) a cylinder suddenly firing & even heard a hollow "pop" like the carb quickly opening up. Dunno if that is indicative of anything but will still troubleshoot the coils. I'll check the service manual on accessing them this weekend. I'll also clean the connections at the coils & TCI as also recommended. Thx, guys.

Thx for the thorough explanation, @Patch. Heading home tonight or tomorrow so anticipate getting back to the bike this weekend. Will post my results. Was planning on soaking the carbs with Puc’s method on the bike so I’ll have time on my hands. Congrats on the rookie status (I think!)!

Thx, @Patch. If you've got time would you mind treating me like a greenie who's used a voltmeter once and has no idea how to check the coils for voltage in and the ohm's on the secondaries? (I'm sure that's not difficult to imagine for anyone who's read some of my posts!!!) Thx again, regardless! BTW, I've not ignored all the recommendations as I've been on vacation. Even if I look like a boob I want to post updates so other greenies can glean from y'all's insight and my ignorance. Thx again to all.

Sounds Good, @RDawson. I assume slathering some dielectric grease on the connections would be prudent as well? Thx!